Folding chair



March 30, 1937. 1 V E 2,075,350

FOLDING CHAIR Filed Feb. 16, 1935 FranWcZL e/verona f I @z ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates tochairs, and its general object is to provide a folding chair that is designed for attachment to a desk, counter, table or any suitable attaching means that is capable of 5 holding and partially supporting the same, and

or without weight thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a chair of the foldable type and character set forth, that is light in weight, so as to be easy to handle, yet is capable of supporting maximum weight, is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufac- 20 ture, easy to install, and extremely efficient in use and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein 30 like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view illustrating my chair attached to a desk.

Figure 2 is a side view of the chair showing it 573 partially folded.

Figure 3 is a perspective view, with the chair partially folded.

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken approximately on line 4-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of one type of binge joint between the seat and back. rails or legs.

Figure 6 is a similar view of another type of hinge joint.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be noted that I have illustrated my chair as being attached toa desk, but I want it understood that it can be attached to any type of furniture,

counter, table, or any suitable means, to be or not to be associated or used therewith. While the chair is shown as being attached to a desk, the latter acts merely in the capacity as an attaching, holding and partial supporting means therefor and so that the chair will be in a convenient place and always handy for the user of the desk to converse with a person, such as during an interview or the like.

My chair includes rear rails providing leg portions and back portions 2 and these portions diverge rearwardly with respect to each other as best shown in Figure 1. The rails are held in spaced parallel relation with respect to each other through the instrumentality of cross members 3, and while the single cross member 3 is provided for cooperation with the back portions to form the back of the chair, and that member is arranged adjacent the upper ends of the back portions, it will be obvious that any number of cross members may be employed and in fact the entire back of the chair may be solid.

The lower cross member extends from the point of juncture with the leg portions I with the back portions 2 and secured to the lower cross member adjacent to one end thereof through the medium of the hinge 4 is a seat rail 5 which is to be at- H portions 8 being countersunk in the back portions and the portions 9 being countersunk in the seat and have pintles I0 extending laterally therefrom and journaled in bearing ears I I, therefore it will be seen that lateral movement of the seat is practically impossible.

Regardless of what type of hinge is used to secure the seat to the rear rails the latter are recessed to accommodate the rear end portions of the seat, when the latter is in position for use, and these recesses are indicated by the reference numeral l2. 7

The other type of hinge for securing the seat to the rear rails includes a leaf l3 that is shaped to follow the recess 52 and is fixed therein, with a hinge barrel secured to the upper portion thereof, and the companion leaf l4 follows the shape of the rear end portions of the seat, and countersunk therein. The upper extension of the leaf I4 is provided with hinge barrels l5 for cooperation with the hinge barrel of the leaf [3, and of course a pin passes through the companion hinge barrels for securing the leaves 13 and I4 together. The leaves M are fixed to the seat and the lower extending portion thereof underlies the seat, as clearly shown in Figure 6. It will.

be noted that the lower ends of the recesses l2 are curved downwardly so as to allow fitting of the hinge portions on the seat therein and free movement of the seat with respect thereto.

5 A seat rail I6 is hingedly secured to the forward portion of the seat and is disposed transversely thereof as best shown in Figure 3. Fixed to one end of the seat rail I6 is a leg I? and this leg is connected to the adjacent rear leg through the instrumentality of a link I8 that has its forward end pivoted to the leg I! and its rear end pivotally connected to a projection l9 that is fixed to the rear leg portion.

The seat rail 5 is provided with a dovetail groove or notch adjacent its forward end and in its upper surface for the purpose of receiving a dovetail tongue 2! when the chair is in open or unfolded position as shown in Figure 1,

with the result, when the chair is in the position 20 last mentioned, it is positively held and cannot tip, slide, collapse or fold up, with or without weight thereon, yet the chairis capable of being disposed to either folded or unfolded positions, in an easy and expeditious manner, and the manner of disposing the chair to these respective positions is obvious in the drawing.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my 30 invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope.

35 of the appended claims.

What I claim is:'

l. A foldable chair comprising rear rails including leg and back portions, cross members bridging the rear rails, means having one end hingedly secured to one cross member and the other end to a suitable support respectively, said rear rails being recessed, a seat hingedly secured to the rear rails and arranged to have its rear end received in the recesses when the chair is in open position, a seat rail hingedly secured to the underside of the seat, a dovetail joint included in the seat rail and the first mentioned means for securing the chair in open position, a leg depending from the seat rail and cooperating with the leg portions and support for supporting the chair in open position, and pivotally mounted brace means connected to the leg and one leg portion.

2. A foldable chair comprising a rear portion including legs, a'seat pivotally secured to the rear portion, a notched rail having one end secured to the rear portion, supporting means having the opposite end of the rail secured thereto, said rail mounted for movement in a horizontal plane into and out of the path of one side of the under surface of the seat, legged means hinged to the seat and having an end received in the notch of the rail for cooperation with the latter, the supporting means, and the legs of the rear portion and legged means respectively for supporting the seat in operative position a suitable distance from the floor, and brace means pivotally secured to said legged means, and a leg of the rear portion.

FRANK J. LEVERON'E. 

